1.6a stuck at 133 fsb, show off your smarts

[RatFink]

OK I'm stuck at 133 fsb and was wanting some ideas on what might be holding me back, or how I could go a bit further.

Here's what I have for settings now

133 fsb
Vcore @ 1.65 (that as low as I could go and still run Prime 95 stable)
1:1 memory divider
memory settings at default.. cas2.5
Turbo 1
memory voltage at 2.6


I can run prime 95 all day at these settings, but even going up to 135 fsb I start having lost .dlls when booting into windows, and make it through about 3 lines of prime 95 before I get an error.

Any ideas on what my weak link is?

OH.. and I have the new Alpha HSF with a 92mm panaflo sucking 53 cfm, MBM5 show my Temp at 39 while running Prime 95 (Could that be right?)

 

[MadMan007]

hmmm...maybe those Turbo settings are a little sketchy for your memory? Though I doubt it with Crucial. Anyway, do a google.com search for memtest86. It makes a bootable Linux disk that will extensively test your memory at a given bus speed. I always use it to ensure the stability of memory at a given FSB speed.

 

[DaveB]

39C in Prime95 is low for a P4 at 2.14 GHz, but you do have an excellent HS in that Alpha. Mine comes in today and I'll give it a go. At 2.14 GHz, my AVC Sunflower let the CPU get to 58C in Prime95 so if I get results like you with the Alpha, I'll be overjoyed. I'll take 45C if I can get it as a max in Prime95 though.

Since you have a great HS, boost the core to 1.7V or higher, boost the DDR to 2.7V, and take the DDR out of the equation by running it at default timings and speed.

 

[RatFink]

hmmm...maybe those Turbo settings are a little sketchy for your memory? Though I doubt it with Crucial. Anyway, do a google.com search for memtest86. It makes a bootable Linux disk that will extensively test your memory at a given bus speed. I always use it to ensure the stability of memory at a given FSB speed.

Which version should I use? they have one for linux, and one compiled for windows, I'm guessing the linux version since you mentioned that

**edit**
nope, I got the version made to work in windows and dos... I hope that's right

 

[batboy]

Sounds like maybe it needs a bit more voltage. But, try less agressive RAM timing first, just to make sure that's not the trouble.

 

[jdmcnudgent]

that is about as high as you can go with the factory v-core, you need the special bios for this board, and then you gotta hope that your ram will keep up. like bat boy said, you need more v-core.

 

[RatFink]

Sounds like maybe it needs a bit more voltage. But, try less agressive RAM timing first, just to make sure that's not the trouble.

Less agressive than the default timings?.... hmmm

 

[RatFink]

Damn Memtest86 won't work in Win2k... any other options?

 

[BadThad]

Juice...more juice, LOL.

Well, maybe your CPU has reached it's max, they're all different.

 

[s7e9h3n]

Could be a PSU problem. I'm able to go to 2.4 with the same board and chip at around 1.65-1.7. Check your +12V line. It reads different on MBM5 and ASUS Probe. Ideally, at full load, it shouldn't drop under 11.6 or so on MBM5. Asus probe usually gives a reading about .5V higher. Also, if you're using the EZ Plug, I've heard there have been issues with supplying enough extra juice to the CPU. If all else fails, you could always use the over-volt jumper on the board.

 

[Gerry_ie]

Except your cpu is not the same as his! Believe it or not, just because one clocks to 2.4 doesn't mean they all will. Quality varies slightly even between chips from the same wafer, its a pity more people can't understand that

 

[RatFink]

Actually I do understand it, and it makes me sad... I've manage to make it to 140 fsb, but that looks like all I can get on this one unless they come out with a new bios revision offering a bit more juice.

 

[DaveB]

Well, if you're "stuck" at 2.13 GHz, why not crank up the DDR for better performance? My generic Micron PC2100 has no problems running at 166 MHz. So my P4 1.6A is running at 2.13 GHz, 133 MHz FSB, and 166 MHz DDR (PC2700). The Micron passes the Memtest86 up to 170 MHz which is the highest I've tested it at. I was gonna go for some PC2700 but what's the point?

 

[Floundering]

Have you tried putting your ram at 2.0 cas? thats what i had to do to get above just 115 fsb and im at 140 now stable and still climbing! At 115 i was only @ 1780 but am @ 2.240 and all i did was ajust cas to 2.0 give it a try!

 

[jdmcnudgent]

that is about as high as you can go with the factory v-core, you need the special bios for this board, and then you gotta hope that your ram will keep up. like bat boy said, you need more v-core.

bump, did you flash the bios yet? also, you need to bump down your ram. after 133, you have to trade off speed for ram bandwidth.